Free Memory Tips, June 2014 Issue

Below is the June 2014 issue of Free Memory Tips. To learn more about this free email newsletter, or to start receiving it, please visit the Subscription Page. I send out the newsletter about once a month. You can unsubscribe at any time.

JUNE 2014. Welcome to my free Memory Tips email newsletter. Ready to boost your brain power?

Below are powerful strategies for improving your memory. Plus I've included links to free online brain games that can strengthen your thinking skills.

Here's what's in this issue:

Overeating Carbs and Sugar Causes Memory Loss
To Remember What You Read, Ask Questions
Green Tea Boosts Memory & Protects Against Dementia

If you like this newsletter, please "pay it forward" by sending this to a friend. If someone did forward this to you, and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting the Free Memory Tips Subscription Page.

My goal is to help you learn faster and remember more. That's why I created Memory-Improvement-Tips.com and this email newsletter.

The secret to a more powerful brain is two-fold: improve your brain health, and learn memory techniques. This can lead to more success and fulfillment in life!

Overeating Carbs and Sugar Causes Memory Loss

To protect your memory and brain power, cut back on carbs and sugar. Especially if you overeat these foods.

That's the conclusion of a study by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers tracked 940 people over age 70 for four years.

The findings were shocking:

Those who ate the most carbs had 4 times the risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Those who ate the most sugar had 1.5 times the risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment.

These people developed problems with memory, language, thinking, and judgement. Mild Cognitive Impairment is half way to dementia.

You want to avoid this!

Dr. Rosebud Roberts, lead author of the study, explains why overeating carbs and sugar hurts brain function:

A high carbohydrate intake could be bad for you because carbohydrates impact your glucose and insulin metabolism.

Sugar fuels the brain - so moderate intake is good. However, high levels of sugar may actually prevent the brain from using the sugar - similar to what we see with type 2 diabetes.

To protect your brain health, Dr. Roberts recommends a well-rounded diet. Balance the amount of protein, carbs, and fat in your meals.

Yes, bread and pasta and cake taste good. I get it. But don't fool yourself - your may pay a heavy price later for overeating pizza and donuts today.

Make adjustments as need to eat a healthier diet. If you don't know how, consult a dietary professional. Your brain will thank you for it!

To Remember What You Read, Ask Questions

Do you remember what you read? If not, here's a powerful study skill and memory trick: Ask AND ANSWER these "W and H" questions as you read:

What? When? Who? Where? Why?... How? and How Many?

Reading "actively" forces you to consider the material closely. This provides Original Awareness, the first step to remembering anything.

Use this technique to memorize news articles, chapters in a textbook, or other detailed information. Ask questions after each paragraph or sentence if necessary.

Let's try an example. From a recent article in The New York Times:

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the lone American prisoner of war from the Afghan conflict, captured by insurgents nearly five years ago, has been released to American forces in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility, Obama administration officials said Saturday.

That sentence contains several facts. Read it carefully, then look away and ask yourself questions that begin with...

What? When? Who? Where? Why? How? and How Many?

... then, without looking at the sentence, answer each question.

What is this about? (Answer: release of lone America prisoner of war)
When did it happen? (Answer: announced Saturday by Obama administration officials)
Who is the POW? (Answer: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl)
Where was he a POW? (Answer: Afghanistan)
Why was he released? (Answer: exchanged for Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo)
How long was he a prisoner? (Answer: 5 years)
How many Taliban were exchanged for him? (Answer: 5)

If answers elude you, re-read the passage with the questions in mind.

Now repeat the process. Look away, then ask and answer the questions. You should do better the second time.

Yes, this might slow you down. But you'll have actual knowledge when you are done. And with practice, you'll get faster.

Zooming through an article, chapter, or book yet recalling nothing later - THAT is a waste of time.

Instead, pause now and then to quiz yourself about what you've learned. You may be surprised how much this increases your memory of what you've read.

Green Tea Boosts Memory & Protects Against Dementia

Here's a powerful yet easy way to strengthen your memory AND protect your brain against Alzheimer's memory loss: Drink green tea every day.

Green tea offers tremendous health benefits. It can lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke, and it's protective against certain cancers. Those benefits alone are enough reason to drink green tea often.

It gets better. Green tea has ALSO been shown to boost memory AND protect against memory loss due to Alzheimer's plaques and tangles.

Here's how green tea both strengthens and protects the brain:

Growth of New Brain Cells. A molecule in green tea known as EGCG stimulates the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus. This brain structure plays a critical role in memory formation and retrieval.
Stronger Interconnections Between Neurons. Green tea increases connections between existing brain cells, especially in the frontal and parietal areas of the brain. These enhanced connections may improve memory processing and recall.
Protection Against Alzheimer's Byproducts. In Alzheimer's disease, brain cells are damaged by unwanted plaques and tangles produced by the disease. Green tea blocks beta-secretase, a biochemical that contributes to the formation of these plaques and tangles.

Due to its strong anti-oxidant properties, green tea ALSO protects the brain by scavenging free radicals (harmful molecules). Free radicals are produced normally but can damage brain cells over time.

But we're not done yet!

Green tea may ALSO protect the brain from dementia-related memory loss by blocking acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a substance found in high concentrations in the Alzheimer's brain. Inhibiting AChE may slow the progression of Alzheimer's dementia symptoms.

Green tea appears to protect and strengthen the brain in a ridiculous number of ways. You won't be surprised to learn I drink a pitcher of green tea every day!

For more on this topic and to learn how I prepare my green tea in quantity, please see my article Green Tea Benefits on Memory-Improvement-Tips.com.

Featured FREE Brain Games

There are 237 free brain games on my website, Memory-Improvement-Tips.com. You can play them online anytime. No restrictions, no logging in. Just pick a game, go to the game page, and start playing.

Here are three games I've added to the site recently:

Rise of Atlantis. A fun jewel-matching game that trains concentration and visual perception. Match three-in-a-row to reassemble golden artifacts from Babylonia, Egypt, and Phoenicia. If you like Bejeweled, you're sure to love this brain game.

Pacxon Pacman. A block-building strategy game based on the classic Pacman character. Wall off ghosts to fill 80% or more of the screen with blocks to progress to the next level. Fast-paced and fun to play, this game trains visual perception and reaction time.

Helicopter Concentration. A difficult but fun concentration game. Guide your helicopter as deep into the cave as you can without hitting the floor or ceiling. I've gotten about 1,000 feet into the cave. Can you do better?

That's all for now, and thanks for reading. For lots more tricks and strategies to improve your brain, visit the Get a Better Memory page on my website.

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